


it’s time we danced with the truth

by schuylerhamilton



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Aubrey Hall, F/M, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28876530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schuylerhamilton/pseuds/schuylerhamilton
Summary: She sighed. “I realize that there is no good reason for me to be standing in your way of marrying Edwina.”“Thank you.” He replied. “But I regret to inform you that there still happens to be an obstacle in the way of this… marriage.”Anthony and Kate’s incident in the garden goes a bit differently.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield
Comments: 42
Kudos: 305





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Jonathan Bailey and Julia Quinn for this.
> 
> I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bridgerton, but after seeing all the hype surrounding the second book, I decided to read it. And, oh my god, I loved it. Now we wait for the inevitable season 2 announcement, which should be coming later this week.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this!

Kate was nervous, and she was sure Anthony knew that. Somehow, that insufferable rake had managed to take note of her numerous reactions and expressions to even the littlest things, presumably to use against her the next time they went toe to toe. However, she realized, there was probably only one thing about her that he’d seen that would always be kept a secret between them.

Last night. Under the table in the library, when she huddled against him like a whining puppy, scared senseless by the lightning that lit up the room and the thunder that shook Aubrey Hall. _He would never use that against me,_ she thought. _That would be too low, even for him_.

In that moment, he’d seemed to have really, truly cared for her. A once-in-a-lifetime moment, she was sure. Something like that would never happen again. The next time she’d fly into a fit of panic and fear due to an electrical storm, he wouldn’t be there. Of course he wouldn’t be there.

But, honestly, she wished he would be. Last night was the first time anyone had comforted her during a storm in a long, long time, since she’d kept her fear hidden from Edwina and Mary for so many years. It was so, _so_ nice. He was so strong, and comforting, and—

Kate’s back was ramrod straight and her jaw was clenched as she steeled her shoulders and forced herself to spit out the words. _I don’t want you to marry Edwina. I want you all to myself._

She was acutely aware of the way he was squeezing her hand. His touch was gentle, but somehow, she thought if he held her hand any harder, her fingers would surely break. Kate Sheffield would never admit it, but she was a fragile woman.

This was insane. She ought to just get over it — _him_ , right now, and flee from the Bridgerton estate. She’d go back to Somerset, and become a spinster, living out a lonely life that she didn’t want, while Edwina (bless her heart, honestly) would be with the man _she_ wanted to be with.

Life was unfair, she knew. It had been unfair ever since her mother died, and then her father too, and it was unfair now, in the garden at Aubrey Hall. But, she supposed, perhaps she could change that.

She took a deep breath, and the words came pouring out. “I just wanted you to know that I have withdrawn my objections to your suit of Edwina.”

Kate had said it so quickly that she didn’t know if Anthony had even heard her. She didn’t look him in the eye, just stared directly out at the rose in front of her. It was quite nice, she thought. The Bridgertons had a lovely garden.

“Why?” He asked calmly, his face expressionless, and she blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t expected him to ask her why. But, then again, she hadn’t expected to like him, either.

“Well,” Kate said carefully. “I admit that I did not like you, at first, and I know we’ve had our disagreements, but, now…” She sighed. “I realize that there is no good reason for me to be standing in your way of marrying Edwina.”

“Thank you.” He replied. “But I regret to inform you that there still happens to be an obstacle in the way of this… marriage.”

Kate’s head whipped towards him, and she studied him curiously. He sounded rather… sad, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. She’d given him what he’d wanted, hadn’t she? She’d given up her fight and finally allowed him to marry her dear sister.

Anthony wasn’t making eye contact with her. He was studying the plants and the flowers in the garden in the most peculiar way, as if he expected some old enemy of his to come out of nowhere and challenge him to a duel.

“What is it, my lord?” She interrogated, irritated with his sudden mood swing.

“I’m afraid I cannot marry your sister.” He said straightforwardly. “In fact, I _do not_ want to marry her.”

By now, Kate’s shock and irritation had turned into anger. Inside, she was fuming. She’d done everything in her power to get this man away from her sister, but had only given in once she realized that she could not have him for herself. A Sheffield, especially one as gorgeous as Edwina, marrying a viscount would be a lovely thing for her family. She’d just have to ignore the fact that his name was _Anthony Bridgerton_.

But now, that wasn’t happening. She could only hope that Edwina would find another well-off suitor to marry this season, otherwise, the Sheffields would be doomed.

“You… you _rogue_.” She spat, getting up from the stone bench in a huff. “I should’ve expected this from a rake like you. You know, leading my sister on, and all that.”

Anthony got up as well, but Kate was already stomping away, moving farther down the path into the garden. Her back turned to him, she swatted a flower, which a bee was sitting on, out of the way, and she heard him gasp for a second. _Pffft._ She thought. _He decided not to marry my sister after courting her and now, somehow, he’s angry that I touched one of his flowers_?

“Certainly you don’t think _that_ low of me,” He called out from behind her, his voice growing closer.

Kate whirled around and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Oh, I _do_.” She responded, looking at him darkly. “I had begun to think you weren’t so bad after all, but clearly you just proved me wrong. If you don’t want to marry Edwina, then _who_ do you want to marry?”

Anthony looked hurt by the statement, and he didn’t hide it well. “Miss Sheffield—“ He began, taking long strides towards her until they were only a few feet apart.

“Do you even want to marry at all?” Kate interrupted him, continuing her wild rant. “Are you waiting for the right woman to come along, or are you just going to keep bedding all the women in London until there’s no one left?”

She’d thought that was a nice blow, and for a split second he gaped at her. But, apparently, she’d spoke too soon, since Anthony moved even closer.

“Kate!” He said loudly, and grabbed her shoulders, which shocked her a little bit. She blinked in surprise as he looked at her, his chest heaving slightly. Was he really going to shake her to get her to stop talking? Kate knew she sometimes talked too much, but she’d never had a man do anything like this to her.

“The obstacle in the way is _you._ ” Anthony said fiercely, looking into her eyes.

Kate frowned in confusion. “Lord Bridgerton, are you sure you got enough sleep last night? I believe we just discussed the fact that _I_ am no longer in the way of you marrying Edwina… because you don’t _want_ to marry Edwina.” She said slowly, trying to get him to digest the information, and carefully removed his large, warm hands from her shoulders . “Therefore, I am not the obstacle. You can have any other woman you want, like that… opera singer.”

Anthony sighed, closing his eyes and bringing his thumb and forefinger to his temple to rub it slightly. “I don’t _want_ the opera singer,” He said finally, clearly frustrated. “Not anymore. And is that _really_ what you decided to remember about that party? Not you eavesdropping on us from under my _desk_?”

“I didn’t _know_ it was your desk.”

“Yes, you’ve told me.” Anthony replied, swallowing thickly, and continuing to talk. “Anyway, I haven’t thought about the opera singer, or Edwina, ever since you kissed me in my office that night.”

Now it was Kate’s turn to gape at him. He’d been thinking of her as much as she’d been thinking of him? Oh, goodness. She managed to collect herself before she started stuttering and rambling in front of him, and said, with as much confidence as she could muster, “I believe it was _you_ who kissed me first, my lord.”

She looked up at him, his eyes deep, swirling pools of brown. His gaze was so intense, she almost wanted to look away. But Kate Sheffield was never one to back down from a challenge. So she held his gaze, and the silence between them was almost _loud_ , if that were even possible.

“Yes,” He admitted. “And I would very much like to do it again.”

Kate didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t expecting this. She closed her eyes and folded her hands into tight fists. Maybe, if she wished hard enough, she would wake up. This _had_ to be some strange dream, right?

“What are you doing?” Anthony asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Her eyes flew open, and she sighed.

“You must know that I am not good enough for you, my lord.” Kate told him, not daring to call him by his given name. “I am not the season’s incomparable. My sister is. So, I advise you to marry her. Being in a loveless marriage with Edwina certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.” She shrugged, not looking him in the eye.

She couldn’t even look at him at _all._ Kate turned away from him, seeing if she could find some sort of escape route back to Aubrey Hall. She’d very much like to lock herself in her room and wait for this day to be over.

Yes, she wanted him, but she’d never been able to imagine _him_ wanting _her_. And now she had no idea what to do about it.

Kate was scanning the grounds in silence, trying to make her escape, when she felt his breath near the nape of her neck. She shivered. “Lord Bri-“

She was interrupted by him placing his hands on her shoulders again, nestling his face into the crook of her neck, near her ear.

 _Oh_ , this was certainly something. Kate couldn’t imagine the scandal that would erupt if anyone was still at Aubrey Hall. Lady Whistledown would have a field day, she was sure of it. However, all of Lady Bridgerton’s guests were either at the lake or going shopping, which were two things that Kate _definitely_ did not want to partake in.

“Kate,” Anthony said, his voice a low rumble near her ear. Frozen in place, she found herself melting into him, and his hands moved down from her shoulders to her upper arms. “There was a time where I might’ve agreed with your statement, but now, I wholeheartedly disagree.”

She swallowed. His right hand continued to trail down her right arm, and he laced his fingers through his.

“Yes, Edwina _is_ beautiful, but she isn’t _you_.” He said, his voice hoarse. “And you and I, we have much in common.” Anthony continued, and she found herself nodding.

“Yes, we do both enjoy the country,” Kate replied, clearing her throat.

“And I’ve heard that you have a dislike for philosophy,” He muttered into her ear, and she nodded again.

“We—“ Kate sucked in a breath as Anthony’s nose tickled her ear. “We also like each other.”

This got him to laugh quietly, although it sounded much louder, since his mouth was right next to her ear. He removed himself from the crook of her neck and stepped in front of her, so he was finally facing her.

“We do. That is certainly very obvious.” He smiled, which made Kate’s stomach flip. God, she couldn’t believe what had just happened. _The only thing better than this_ , she thought, _was if_ —

“KATHARINE SHEFFIELD!”

_Oh, Mary._

“Anthony?”

_And… Lady Bridgerton._

“My word,” said another female voice.

 _Oh, and Mrs. Featherington._

Her eyes grew as large as saucers, and Anthony quickly cleared his throat and stepped back, putting a considerable distance between them. Kate looked at the ground, avoiding the women’s gazes.

“Hello, Mother,” Anthony said, his voice sounding much less commanding than normal. He nodded in the other ladies’ directions. “Mrs. Sheffield, Mrs. Featherington. Lovely day, isn’t it? Hmmm?”

Kate was going to kill him.

Or kiss him.

Or maybe both. Giving him the kiss of death didn’t sound so bad.

The three women in front of them didn’t respond. They just looked owlishly at the two of them, their mouths occasionally opening and closing. They were at a loss for words, which, Kate supposed, didn’t happen often.

“Um, I was just here to ask Miss Sheffield for her hand in marriage,” Anthony supplied, and _oh,_ Kate was definitely going to kill him.

But only after they got married.

“And—“

“I accept.” Kate swiftly interrupted, watching as Anthony tried his best to look calm and composed. She shuffled closer to him and looped her arm through his.

“Oh, how wonderful,” Violet Bridgerton said, placing a hand over her heart. Mary _awww_ ’ed, and the two women looked at each other happily. Even Mrs. Featherington had mustered up a smile.

“Well, it was only a matter of time,” Mary commented, and Lady Bridgerton nodded. Kate and Anthony blinked. “We all thought it was quite obvious that something was going on between you two.”

Mrs. Featherington nodded. “Such lovely news.” She said, turning to make her way back to Aubrey Hall.

“I suppose you two can announce the news tonight, at the party,” Lady Bridgerton said, and Mary nodded. The two ladies bid their farewell and began to follow Mrs. Featherington back to the Hall.

The future Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton just stood there.

“Well,” Anthony said finally, looking at her. “It seems that Lady Whistledown will have a new scandal to write about.”

“A scandal?” Kate asked, raising her eyebrows as she looked up at him.

Anthony cleared his throat. “A love match, then. Perfectly lovely, if I do say so myself.”

“Yes.” Kate smiled. “Very lovely indeed.”


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kinda inspired by *that* gazebo scene in TVWLM. AKA: Mary and Violet’s kids just really love each other now that they aren’t bickering anymore, okay? This picks up directly after the events in Chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t help myself. Enjoy!

Kate stood there, dumbfounded, watching her mother and Lady Bridgerton walk back to the house, clearly chatting happily about their children’s engagement. She couldn’t exactly believe what had just happened, but, oddly enough, something about it felt… right. Just a few days ago, she would’ve balked at the thought of marrying Lord Bridgerton, but now, the idea definitely didn’t seem so bad. She sighed, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of the flowers in the garden that surrounded them.

She opened her eyes to see Anthony staring at her, and she knew her face had turned red.

As soon as their mothers reached the house, Anthony grabbed Kate’s hand and led her deeper into the garden. His grip, while firm, didn’t hurt, and Kate was grateful for that, because he was currently pulling her along in a way that distinctly reminded her of having to pull Newton away from another dog whenever they took a stroll in the park.

“Where are we going?” She huffed, picking up her pace so that she was now walking directly beside him. He didn’t let go of her hand, however, which Kate was strangely grateful for.

“We’re going to my favorite hiding spot,” Anthony said simply, and Kate gaped at him.

“You have a _hiding spot_?” What on earth was he going to do there, defile her? Yes, they were engaged to be married, but _engaged_ was the key word in this situation. They weren’t married yet, and it would be extremely improper for him to do… _anything_ beyond kissing her. She didn’t even have a ring yet, for Heaven’s sake.

“Yes,” He replied. “My family used to play hide and seek here.”

“Oh.” Kate blinked. He looked at her, a quizzical look on his face. “ _Just_ hide and seek?”

“Yes. What, were you thinking of something… less appropriate?” He cocked his head to the side, and she quickly shook her head, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“N-no, I…” Anthony raised his eyebrows doubtfully, and Kate sighed. “Fine. Yes, I was. Sorry.”

“No apologies needed,” He replied, shooting her a grin that would probably make a hundred young debutantes swoon.

She glared at him, but she couldn’t hide the smile that was slowly stretching across her face. She noticed that they were heading away from a gazebo, which was surrounded by lilac bushes. The gazebo was to the right, and they were heading left.

“Anthony,” She said suddenly, and he stopped, focusing on her.

“Hmmm?” He asked, following her gaze and looking at the gazebo.

“Why don’t we just go in there?” She asked, gesturing to the gazebo, and he shook his head.

“That’s not the hiding spot,” He reminded her. “And, ah,” His voice dropped a bit. “While it does offer a considerable amount of privacy, there’s a chance that a person could still look out of a window and see us. So,” Anthony threaded their fingers together. “We shall keep going.”

They continued, wandering deeper into the gardens. The bushes got taller, even taller than Anthony, and he finally pulled her into a corner.

“You mean to tell me that _this_ is the hiding spot?” She looked at him, astounded, and he pressed a finger to her lips.

“Shhh,” Anthony said softly, looking up at the leaves and branches around them. “We can’t see the house from here, and therefore, the house can’t see us. We’re surrounded on three out of four sides by shrubbery.”

Kate stared at him blankly. He was right, they were almost completely surrounded by branches in this small, green alcove.

“So, let me get this straight,” She said, noticing how little space there was between them. “You brought me here just to… show me a hiding spot?” She scoffed quietly. “How romantic.”

“No.” Anthony replied, smirking slightly. “I brought you here _because_ it’s a hiding spot. We, ah, have some things to discuss about our marriage, and I would like it to be as private as possible. God knows we’ll be cornered by every member of the Ton who’s present here at Aubrey Hall tonight,” He added, and Kate nodded. She was sure that _everybody_ would be asking questions at the party — their _engagement_ party — tonight.

She swallowed nervously, letting the realization of her new reality hit her. Tonight, she’d be front and center, not hidden in the background like she usually was. She was unofficially engaged to a Viscount. A bloody _Viscount_. She’d probably never be able to lurk in the background ever again.

“Number one,” He said, gently raising her chin with his fingers so that she was now looking at him. “I have a ring. A family collection, in fact. I’ll let you pick out the one you want before tonight.”

Kate nodded, and Anthony continued. “Number two, our mothers will probably sit down with us to discuss planning and logistics for everything. Now, my mother can be overbearing at times, and she _loves_ to plan events, so if there’s anything you disagree with, or if you want anything specific,” He placed his hands on her shoulders, which was somehow more intimate than what he’d done a few minutes earlier. “Tell me, and I will be sure it happens. I give you my word.”

She nodded again, unsure of what to say. It usually took quite a lot to render her speechless, but Anthony seemed to be especially good at it.

“And, finally, number three.” He paused, taking his hands off of her shoulders and taking her hands in his. “If I happen to look deeply, ridiculously in love with you tonight, I want you to know that my gaze is sincere.”

Anthony brought a hand up to gently stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers, frowning slightly at her doubtful look. “I mean it, Kate.” He said huskily, and she noticed that his gaze had settled on her lips. “I don’t want anyone but you.”

“I know,” She replied, giving him a close-lipped smile, and he cocked his head to the side again.

“Do you?” He said, grinning at her. “Or do I have to remind you of what I told you earlier?”

Kate knew exactly what he was talking about. He desperately wanted to kiss her again, with more passion than he did during their encounter in his office on that fateful night, if that were even possible. But she decided to play dumb, although she was sure that they both knew she was the furthest thing from it.

“Yes, my lord, I think you’d have to remind me.” She said, plastering an innocent smile on her face. “I’m afraid that all the commotion earlier has caused me to forget.”

“Good,” He muttered. “I must confess that that was the intended effect.”

And, before Kate had a chance to react, or respond, he gently grabbed her face and kissed her. Hard. It was better than their first kiss. While she still had a few doubts about how well their marriage would work, her fiancé’s desire for her was _definitely_ not one of him.

He pulled her closer to her, their bodies touching, and she gripped his shoulders, not even wanting to breathe. She was beginning to understand why her future husband had had such a _reputation_ among ladies who were not in the Ton. He was passionate, caring, attractive… everything a lady would want.

And he was _hers_. The thought thrilled her. He wasn’t Edwina’s, or that opera singer’s, or any other woman’s. Anthony Bridgerton was _hers_.

Kate smiled as they broke apart, their foreheads touching.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that.” Anthony said, his voice raspy. His deep brown eyes bore into hers.

“I bet I can guess.” Kate replied, and he looked at her, doubtful.

“Can you, now?” He said, cocking his head to one side. “Take a guess, then.”

“Since that night in your office?” She asked, raising her eyebrows when he shook his head.

“Longer than that.”

“ _Really_?”

“Yes, of course.” Anthony replied, lowering his voice slightly. “Do you want me to remind you _again_ of my desire for you?” He asked quietly, and Kate didn’t object.

After a moment, he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before kissing her neck.

She closed her eyes as he pressed his lips to her skin. As much as she wanted this, she wasn’t sure if this was the place or the time. Mary would probably go into shock if she returned to the house with proof of Anthony’s desire for her plastered on her neck in the form of a love mark.

“Anthony,” She said, her voice broken as his hands gripped her waist.

“Hmmm?” He muttered against her neck, and she swallowed, hard.

“Anthony, I—“ She paused as his mouth moved up near her ear. “You can’t leave a mark on my neck. Not when we’re going to be the center of the party tonight.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Anthony said, removing himself from her and standing up straight. Kate touched her neck absentmindedly, and he was quick to assure her that no mark had been left there.

“Now, Miss Sheffield,” He said, straightening out his coat and offering his arm for her to take. “I believe we’ve overstayed our welcome in this part of the garden, don’t you think?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A love mark is British English for a hickie. The more you know, lol.

**Author's Note:**

> Anthony/Kate is one of the best enemies to lovers relationships I’ve seen since Han/Leia. I am beyond excited for season 2.


End file.
